Talk To Me
by Ocean
Summary: There are issues between every couple that are bound to surface. And yet, when those issues arise, how you talk to each other is as important as what you are talking about. A little snipit into Atemu's and Yuugi's life together. Mild YY complete


Disclaimer: Plain and simple. I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

A/N: Hello everyone! I hope your summer's have started out as well as mine have. This story of mine was inspired by two things: my need to improve on natural dialogue for my characters, and what I consider to be very weak arguments and basis for arguments between Yami and Yuugi. People who love each other do not instantly fight and break up and expect the other to beg on hands and knees because they disagree on something or because there is a misunderstanding. So I wrote this to try and show a different way of arguing. It all turns out in the end, of course. No Yami/Yuugi supporter-advocate would have it any other way.

I hope you like this exercise! Let me know what you think.

_- Ocean_

* * *

**Talk to Me**  
_By Ocean_

"It's pretty today."

"Mmm."

"You can really feel the sun even though it's not bright out. It's warm. Nice."

"Mmm-hmm."

"I've been thinking about bleaching my hair blonde."

"Mmm."

"Maybe dying it green would be better, with orange stripes. The gang thinks it'd suit me."

"Mmm."

"… Is that_it_?"

"Hmm?"

"Can't you say anything more than 'mmm'?"

"What would you have me say?"

"I don't know... something. _Any_thing. A response would be nice. Hell, a_word_ would be nice. I just don't want to have deep and meaningful exchanges with myself."

"You are a good orator."

"Huh?"

"That was something, was it not?"

"Yeah, something out of left field. Had nothing to do with what I was saying."

"I... left field?"

"Sorry Até. Baseball reference."

"Baseball?"

"Don't pull that innocent act on me. You're just trying to get me started so you don't have to talk anymore."

"Am I, now..."

"Ah, shove it."

"As you wish."

"Hey! Not so hard! ... that wasn't fair. And wipe that smirk off your face."

"That would require a great deal of effort I do not wish to expend."

"Lazy pharaoh."

"Cute aibou."

"I'm _not_ cute!"

"That is a matter of opinion."

"You don't even like cute things!"

"Exceptions can be made."

"I think you_are_ an exception."

"We all must be something."

"You're a lot of things."

"Such as...?"

"Things too impolite to mention in public."

"Charming, aibou."

"_Deserved_, pharaoh."

"That is half the fun."

"True."

"…"

"You still haven't answered my question."

"Which one? You have so many."

"Hah! You just can't remember them because you're so old."

"Age and inattention are two entirely different things."

"In your case one is affected by the extreme value of the other."

"You have made your point."

"I mean, I'm beginning to wonder about you. Any day now I may have to get you a walker. Or a handicap placard. Maybe both. It would sure make parking easier."

"_Aibou_-"

"Probably gonna have to buy you memory pills. What's the name of that herb that's supposed to help memory? ...Aw, it'll come. I'll buy you a diary so you can write it down and make _sure_ you don't forget. We all know how forgetful you are. I mean, hell, look at what we've been through to get you to remember _yourself_. I'm not always going to be here to help you remember things, you know."

"_Enough_."

"..."

"..."

"... I'm sorry, Até. I didn't mean to... I didn't want to - you weren't... damn it!"

"... explain."

"I get so... I get frustrated with you and don't watch my mouth and say stupid things that hurt you. Stupid, _stupid_!"

"Why do you do that?"

"I dunno. Because I can. Because... because I'm hurt too, I suppose."

"That is not a very good reason."

"Never said it was."

"Yet you rely on it to explain your actions."

"Gee, excuse_me_ for reacting to the hurt."

"By lashing out at _me_."

"Please, I'm sorry. Let me- _don't_ pull away from me. Atemu. Atem-! Hey! Pushing me away isn't going to solve anything."

"Neither will holding my hand. That will not eliminate the intent of your words."

"How would you know? You won't even try."

"You expect me to accept every apology you give regardless of why it was warranted or its lack of sincerity because you are willing to hold my hand. That is not enough."

"I don't want to hear-"

"Too bad. You want me to talk? I will talk. Why do you keep attacking me? You lash out at me every time I speak. You snap at me and sharpen your words when others are around. You have made it _very_ clear that when alone, I am to do little more than agree with what you say. What has changed in the past two months that my presence brings nothing but misery to you?"

"You're not helping this any."

"Then I am at a loss. When I remain silent you complain that I do not talk. When I talk, you complain about what I say. You ask for my opinion, yet when I give it are angered that I am speaking out of turn. We could solve this whole issue if you would just make a list of appropriate comments for me to make so I will stop doing whatever it is I do that makes you upset with me."

"That wouldn't be necessary if you didn't embarrass me every time you-!"

"..."

"... I..."

"Well, at least we are getting closer to the truth."

"Hmph."

"Do not stop now. You have the floor."

"Embarrassed wasn't exactly what I meant."

"What _exactly_ did you mean, then?"

"You piss me_off_."

"Eloquent."

"I don't have to _be_ eloquent. ... You asked, anyway."

"Oh, the horror of me inquiring as to why you and I are fighting. How ever will I live with myself?"

"You could cut the sarcasm."

"_Give me patience_..."

"Don't act like you're the victim here. _You're_ not the one who has to put up with _you_."

"I can not say the view from here is exceptionally pleasing either, _Yuugi_."

"... I hate it when you say my name like that. You only do that when-"

"I am thoroughly upset with you. Yes, I know. But how _forgetful_ of me not to remember that any emotion I am allowed to show must first have your approval."

"That isn't fair!"

"Agreed!"

"..."

"..."

"... my friends don't like the way you talk to them..."

"Good lord, Yuugi. Do not tell me this goes back to them."

"... or me..."

"Fine. Do me the favor of explaining this most recent failing of mine."

"They say you argue with them."

"Oh, _please_."

"A _lot_, Atemu. To the point you are insulting. That you look down on them because you believe you are better than them in some way... they think your pride is still stuck in 'pharaoh mode'."

"I _was_ pharaoh, Yuugi."

"But you aren't anymore."

"You would have me stop being who I am for the comfort of others? I have not changed since our first meeting."

"Sure you have. We all have. The return of your memory has altered you, if nothing else."

"Bringing to my attention that this alteration was not acceptable would have been more beneficial had you alerted me when it happened, not a year later."

"I never said I didn't like the change. Don't put words in my mouth. I'm simply saying that there's been a change in you, and that my friends don't particularly like it. They aren't a group that adapts easily, you know."

"That excuses everything."

"You don't have to be rude. In fact, you could be a little more agreeable. You don't exactly go out of your way to fit in with them."

"I differ in opinion. Your friends seem to think it a sin to do so."

"See! There you go again, wrapping yourself in that air of superiority."

"Apparently you think so as well."

"_Atemu_!"

"My apologies. I forgot that I am not allowed to speak ill of them."

"You shouldn't."

"Regardless of what they say of me. And _to_ me. But that is irrelevant, is it not?"

"What? … Hey, wait, what do you mean, what they say to you? What do they say to you? Até! Wait!"

"Leave it_alone_, Yuugi."

"Slow _down_! What do they say to you?"

"..."

"Please. I didn't know they were saying things to you."

"You did not suspect? With how freely they speak of me to you?"

"I... I didn't think they would go so far. I'd hoped they wouldn't."

"... so naïve..."

"No, not really. More blindly hopeful. Please, tell me, what do they say to you?"

"... I have heard far worse. I have been subject to much harsher tongues than theirs. Their words are not what bother me."

"I'll save that probe for another time. What is it that bothers you?"

"I do not wish to expand the rift between us any further. Let us just forget it."

"No, I want to hear."

"_No_, Yuugi."

"Atemu!"

"_No_!"

"You see! This is just what they talk about! You are so damn stubborn!"

"And this is exactly why I do not talk to you! Because no matter what I say you believe _them_! You _al_ways believe them over me! You believe _everything_ they say, even when they speak about _me_! They do not know me well enough to pass their judgment! Why can you not- Just once! Just... just once... Why can't you believe me?"

"... Até..."

"..."

"Baby?"

"It does not matter. I am just... forget it..."

"... Até?"

* * *

"Até?"

"..."

"... you feel miles away right now."

"Is that too far or too close? I do not know anymore."

"Don't say that. You know how I feel about you."

"Do I?"

"Do you really think now is the time to play games when I'm trying to reach out to you?"

"I am not playing."

"Then listen to me. Talk to me. And don't make assumptions."

"Yes, it was so much fun before."

"Well, we've had time to cool off now."

"Joy."

"Twenty minutes _can_ make a difference, you know, but only when you want it to."

"... hnn..."

"Give me the chance to make this right. I hate where we are now. This is stupid-"

"_Stupid_?"

"Atemu,_please_! If you're going to react to every word I say-... I know, regardless of what a poor choice of words it may be, we're never going to get by this."

"...?"

"Why are you looking at me like I just stabbed you? Don't just shake your head at me."

"Unbelievable."

"What is?"

"How often you tell me not to do something."

"Don't de-... Deflection isn't going to work this time. I'm _asking_ you to tell me."

"..."

"Look at me. … You can trust me sweetheart. I'm listening this time, really."

"I... What do you think this is?"

"What? Our argument?"

"Yes. What do you think it means?"

"That both of us are thick headed obstinate asses."

"_Yuugi_."

"Well I don't know! We're angry. And at each other, which I don't like."

"Nor do I."

"But it shows we have problems."

"Problems? You think so?"

"... um... yeah...?"

"How serious do you perceive these problems to be?"

"They're obviously bad."

"Why? What is so obvious to you that eludes me?"

"We differ fundamentally."

"..."

"... uh..."

"Because we disagree."

"Um... yeah? I mean, isn't that what this means? This kind of argument? Isn't that why you and my friends don't get along?"

"Save me."

"What?"

"Now who was it who told you that lie?"

"_What_!"

"_Who told you that_?!"

"What makes you think anyone told me anything? I'm not allowed to have doubts?"

"Certainly. But you have never inherently doubted our relationship. Have you?"

"I... no... no, I haven't."

"So why now? I ask you again, Yuugi. What has changed in the past two months that makes you dislike me so?"

"Oh, Até, I don't dislike you. I've already told you that."

"Are you sure?"

"Come now. Of all the dumb things I've done, _not_ loving you has never been one of them."

"I had begun to wonder. I... was not sure what to think about how we were acting towards each other."

"I think 'horribly' fits pretty well."

"Hn."

"..."

"..."

"I'm afraid, Até."

"Afraid? Of what?"

"... mmm..."

"I will not take another step until you tell me."

"... I've been feeling it for a little while now. The fear, you know? I didn't know where it was coming from, or didn't want to know, or whatever I was thinking, I was confusing myself... you're snickering. That's a good sign for me."

"Whatever."

"Do you remember that day awhile back? The one where I didn't get home until midnight?"

"You were late with my popsicles."

"Sure. That was... a bad day for me. I'd been struggling for a week or so. I didn't know what to do with myself, and certainly didn't want to talk to anyone about it. But, of course, that moment when you most need to talk to someone is the one moment you most need to keep your mouth shut."

"I do not understand."

"Please don't react until I finish. You aren't going to like this."

"Restraint is not my... _best_ skill."

"You'll handle it for me."

"Indeed. Go on."

"I ran into the gang that day, at the store. I know, I know! You don't need to roll your eyes, I know how you feel about it. Anyway, I just started talking and... well, we can make a _long_ story short by saying I told them things I never meant to. Not all of it was true. Most of it was just lashing out because I didn't know what else to do with my emotions. And of course, being my friends..."

"They felt the need to share their opinions."

"Yes."

"... about me."

"It wasn't all their fault. I did go on about you for... uh, yeah, I went on."

"Hmm."

"You were an easy target."

"I appear to be."

"That's where it started, anyway."

"Where _what_ started? You keep stalling."

"It's not an easy thing to say."

"Say it anyway."

"I'm... my friends don't like you but, … I'm falling in love with you."

"... Yes, I am confused now."

"So am I."

"I thought we had just affirmed that you love me."

"I do! But this is different. Much different."

"Different in a bad way?"

"Different in a different way."

"... I have a headache."

"I can't say my stomach likes this very much either. But hey, it's how my crazy mind works."

"I still do not understand why I frighten you."

"You don't. It's how much I want you that frightens me. Your touch, your attention, your affection... When I don't have it, even for a moment, I get this chill inside that just freezes me. It changes everything. It's... overwhelming."

"As your friends can be."

"I know. I know... They mean well, really. But they don't get why I love you and they're always pushing me about it. They just don't get you."

"Perhaps I do not wish to be understood by them."

"It would make things easier if you'd open up to them a little."

"For their comfort or mine? Or perhaps yours?"

"I'm just saying."

"That is not who I am, aibou."

"Yeah. Yeah, I know. Oh, boy, aren't we a dysfunctional pair?"

"Thankfully. Life would be boring if we were anything else. Aibou?"

"Hmm? Atemu?"

"We can continue walking."

"Oh, _thank you_, mighty pharaoh."

"So what are you going to do?"

"About what?"

"The opinions your friends have of me. Are you going to allow them to influence you?"

"… well, they're bound to, aren't they? But that doesn't mean I have to agree with them. It'll make me cranky I'm sure, but, … well, differing opinions are O.K., right?

"… Aibou?"

"Yes?"

"You can hold my hand now."

"I like that."

"And, when we get home..."

"... I know that smile. I don't know what you're scheming, but I know I'm going to like it. Am I right? ... Hah! Geeze, how do you turn me into a willing slave with just that lethal smile of yours?"

"Easily."

* * *

_The End_

Revised: October 18, 2007


End file.
